Whittling with a frame lock

MikeC

MikeC

Joined
Sep 16, 2005
Messages
1,364
Just a thought and I'm a frame lock fanatic but I got to thinking about lock wear and I can't think of anything that would wear down a frame lock faster than long sessions of whittling on a regular basis, other than constantly flicking or snapping it open and closed like a worry stone. With whittling though with the torque, twist and constant pressure with resistance would seem to me really test a frame lock for durability or longevity.

I guess that is why if your really going to whittle fixed blades are the way to go, but the old timers used to whittle with slip joints and it would seem that those knives would have developed considerable horizontal blade play, but I've got some of my grand paws knives and he whittled constantly and the old stock man slip joints are solid with little to no blade play at all and the blades have been sharpened to practically nothing. So maybe I'm wrong in my reasoning, any thoughts?
 
I think folks around here worry more about lock wear than we should, myself included.

How many of us have really worn a lock out, especially a ti framelock's lock?

I've been toting and using Sebenza's for ten years now, having handed my original down to my Son and now carrying it's twin (small Regular). The lockbar on both knives settled in at around 60% and haven't moved since. Sure, they move when squeezed, which is how CR designed them to respond, but when unlocked and opened again, they lockup at the same point. Whittling is going to have this impact, but I don't see it accelerating wear to the point of concern.

My Son is going to wear the blade down to a nub before that lockbar is at 70%.

I'm just saying, ti framelocks are tougher and more wear resistant than we think. Use 'em and enjoy 'em, and if/when they wear out, send 'em in for repair or use one of your (speaking for me, really ;)) other gajillion folders.

Just my .02.

Prof.
 
As someone who has done a fair bit of whittling, I think you have a lot to learn. If you are twisting a lot, you are doing it wrong. If you have to use significant force, your blade geometry is ill-suited for the task. Yes, it may wear out the lock faster, but that ia the fault of the blade and the user, not the lock.
 
Yab, I should have posted in my original post that proper whittling technique excluded, but I would venture to bet that the majority of the whittling done by weekend warriors at hunting or fishing camps, around camp fires etc. is done by rank amateurs such as myself and proper technique is for the most part out of the window and improper technique is the norm. So please exclude the utilization of proper technique from this discussion and include the fact that it is purely user error or even in some opinion perhaps abuse that this is occurring. I've just seen way too many people sitting around the camp or even in a shooting house (deer stand) whittling with lots of torque or twisting if you will, this has to be playing hell on the liner and or frame lock in my opinion based of my limited engineering and physics knowledge.
 
I have very little knowledge of mechanical engineering, but I don't see how whittling could abuse the lock-up of a framelock. Horizontal torque should only stress the blade and/or pivot area right?
 
Its going to place lateral or horizontal pressure through torquing or twisting of the handle, when that happens in certain torquing directions it is going to place lots of pressure against good resistance (hardwood). This force will push the lock bar face toward the non locking side of the handle, then in certain instances the torquing motion is actually going to push the lock bar face back towards its point of origination in the locking side handle. Basically with a tight grip and prolong sessions of whittling with a blade that may not be as sharp as should for whittling and as yab mentioned not profiled to the preferred angle your going to have the lock bar face rubbing back and forth under load or torquing under load if you will. This is going to accelerate wear at a rapid pace in my opinion in frame locks. That is why in my opinion why bush craft, whittling and true hard use knives are fixed blades and not frame locks as something simply like whittling is going to wear them out quickly. At the same time I offered some anecdotal evidence with my grand pa's whittling and his old slip joints which I have. So I decided to tee it up and open it up for discussion.
 
Methinks youse guys worry too much about nuthin'. OTOH, it does boost your post count! On topic... it should take years and years of whittling wood to destroy a lock or develop excessive blade play.
 
As a long time whittler, I believe your over thinking this. Making the normal slicing cuts on a piece of wood isn't going to apply pressure to the lock - it's going against the stop pin. That's where the majority of the force is going to be. You could twist the blade a little, but I'd put money on your going to cut yourself first by doing something you really shouldn't be doing (or just plain stupid) before exerting much, if any, latteral motion. After the cut - you'll probably be looking for something else to do & figuring out some story on just how you cut yourself.
 
It won't wear it out any quicker.
Flicking the knife open a bunch will, but using it won't...unless it's designed completely wrong.:)
 
yablanowitz said:
As someone who has done a fair bit of whittling, I think you have a lot to learn. If you are twisting a lot, you are doing it wrong. If you have to use significant force, your blade geometry is ill-suited for the task. Yes, it may wear out the lock faster, but that ia the fault of the blade and the user, not the lock.
Click to expand...


+1

I have whittled and carved EXTENSIVELY with all sorts of knives including frame locks and liner locks. While I am not the type to put a micrometer on my lock faces, I would be confident in saying there has been no discernible wear on any of my locks from whittling or carving.
 
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